Mass Rally, Monday Feb 7 To Demand that CalTrans Cancel 101 Road Widening Project Through Richardson Grove State Park

For Immediate Release:

February 4, 2011

Mass Rally, Monday Feb 7 To Demand that CalTrans Cancel 101 Road Widening Project Through Richardson Grove State Park

Contact: Angie, Richardson Grove Action Now! 707-602-7551, rgroveactionnow@gmail.com

Humboldt County, CA-Richardson Grove Action Now, one of many community groups that emerged in the past three years to oppose the federally funded California Department of Transportation [CalTrans] plan to widen Highway 101 through the ancient redwoods of Richardson Grove State Park, will rally at CalTrans District 1 Headquarters to demand the immediate cancellation of the Richardson Grove plan. Monday’s rally will take place at Wabash and Union Streets in Eureka, beginning at noon. A group bike ride to the CalTrans office will leave the Arcata Plaza at 10 am sharp.

The road widening threatens the region with irreparable harm to the ancient trees and overall integrity of Richardson Grove State Park in addition to opening the door to big box development and increased militarization. North coast residents say this project will exacerbate local economic disaster for working people and small businesses, and bring an unacceptable increase of truck traffic.

“This rally is a wake up call from local residents. The Richardson Grove road-widening project, along with CalTrans’ similar proposals for Highways 299 and 199, threaten to punch a hole through the “Redwood Curtain” and impact our beloved redwood trees. Acting together, we have the power to stop this wasteful and destructive project,” says event coordinator Margie of Richardson Grove Action Now.

Local residents are frustrated with the lack of transparency and, in spite of the significant harm posed to the state park and local economy, have been shut out of the planning process. “First CalTrans said there would be no trees cut, and now the number has grown. CalTrans can’t get its story straight about the true impacts of their proposed construction, and in collusion with the County, they’re lying about the true motivations for the project,” said Margie.

Richardson Grove Action Now is a network of individuals mobilizing collective social action in a time of unprecedented ecological peril. While CalTrans plans to expand major commercial and military arteries throughout the north coast bioregion, the group is organizing grassroots efforts to effectively stop the highway expansion through Richardson Grove and protect this region’s unique ecosystems and way of life.

Richardson Grove Action Now knows that widening highway 101 through Richardson Grove will take us one leap closer to the hustle and bustle of Southern California city life styles. “People in this region learned the hard way, for instance with Maxxam Corp., how outside corporate interests destroy local industries and jobs, while forcing us to ruin the environment we live in,” says Margie.

The public is invited to the mass rally on February 7 to join in demanding CalTrans immediately cancel the road-widening plan through Richardson Grove State Park. Vegetarian food will be shared by Food Not Bombs. Musicians Joanne Rand and others TBA.

Informational pamphlet from Richardson Grove Action Now available here:
http://www.box.net/shared/6xyyml02vu